Definition

1. Noun:
   • A stone coffin, often decorated: A sarcophagus is a stone coffin, typically one that is displayed above ground and bears carvings, sculptures, or inscriptions. Historically, they were used by various ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, to hold the remains of the deceased.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The archaeologists discovered an ancient sarcophagus in the tomb.
  • The marble sarcophagus was intricately carved with scenes from mythology.
  • The museum's collection includes a sarcophagus from the Roman era.

Advanced Usage

• "A sarcophagus of...": Used to describe the material or the person for whom the coffin was made.
  • They found a sarcophagus of black granite.
  • It was the sarcophagus of a powerful pharaoh.

Variants and Related Words

• Sarcophagi (n): The standard plural form of "sarcophagus."
  • The chamber contained several ornate sarcophagi.

Synonyms

• Coffin: A box or chest for burying a corpse. (Note: "Coffin" is a more general term, often made of wood, while a "sarcophagus" is specifically stone and often ornate.)
• Casket: Another term for a coffin, often used in modern contexts. (Similar distinction as with "coffin.")
• Sepulcher: A small room or monument, cut in rock or built of stone, in which a dead person is laid or buried. (This can be a broader structure containing a sarcophagus.)

Related Phrases

• "Sealed in a sarcophagus": Describing the act of placing remains inside such a coffin.
  • The mummy was sealed in a sarcophagus for eternity.

Noun

1. a stone coffin (usually bearing sculpture or inscriptions)